As we begin each day’s reflection, invite the Lord to come be with you as you read and meditate on His Word. Take a moment and read the bible passage slowly, allowing the Lord to draw you to any word or phrase that speaks to you.

Isaiah 12:2-6

Cry out with joy and gladness for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel. 

God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior. With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation. Give thanks to the Lord, acclaim his name; among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name. Sing praise to the Lord for his glorious achievement; let this be known throughout all the earth. Shout with exaltation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

It’s the week of JOY! Finally, as we light the Advent wreath, there is more light than darkness and we can see more clearly the coming of our Lord. The anticipation has been building for the last two weeks. We’ve all been preparing our hearts and our homes for this joyous event of Christmas and the nativity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

This weekend, the responsorial psalm is taken from Isaiah, which is a little different. But it is a beautiful passage with which to spend some time praying and reflecting. Take a moment to read it slowly and let the Lord speak to your heart. What stands out to you? Is it the recognition that God is your savior and you can be confident and unafraid? Is it the idea of being thankful and telling others all about what He has done for you? Or is it something else? 

For me, it was the phrase we repeat each time which came from the final verse. “Shout with exaltation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” There is something in this passage that draws me into the joy of Christmas. The idea that God is in my midst, not far off in heaven beyond my reach, but right here. Yes! I long to know that He is close to me and that I can find Him without searching high and low. What a joy it would be to walk into my living room in the morning ready to pray and spend time with Jesus and find him sitting on my couch with an extra cup of coffee ready to chat. Talk about happiness! 

We can all probably relate to the joy of a visit from someone we love. I received a text yesterday afternoon from my son asking if he could come spend the night at our house for a quick visit. The joy that filled my heart in that moment was overwhelming and I had to literally dance as I texted back, “OF COURSE!” Like I would say no? When he got in, I couldn’t stop hugging him. If I’m that excited to see my son, how much more joy would fill my heart to have Jesus right here with me as well. 

Yes, we are preparing for His coming this Christmas, but here’s the truth. Jesus is already here with us. He has been for over 2000 years. He is in our Scriptures. He is in our Church. He is in the Eucharist and every sacrament. We don’t have to wait for December 25. He has already arrived. Let’s start celebrating today! 

Reflection Questions: Spend some time today sitting on the couch with Jesus. Let your imagination go and picture Him beside you. What would you talk with Him about? What questions would you ask? Go ahead and start the conversation. 

Prayer: Hi, Jesus. Glad you are here. I’m so very glad! Thank you for coming and visiting. I have a couple of questions. Can I ask them? Can I share my sorrow and pain? Can you help me replace the hard in my life with the joy that comes from laying my burdens down and resting with You? Amen.